Defending waterways.



- the surface of such character as to destroy eiiicient action of belligerents, either by acting directly 20' JOSEPH A. STEINMETZ, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DEFENDING WATER'WAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Application filed March 16, 1917. -Serie1No. 155,316.

To all whom it may concern:

-Be it known that I, JOSEPH A. STEIN- ;a. citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, in the county of lPh-iladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful 1m:

provements: in Defending Waterways, ol

which, the following is a specification reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings v My: invention relates to defending coastal involves-fixing in the waterprotected numerous spaced ated s when predetermined conditions arise and adapted, when discharged, to formupon he water a gaseous cloud of upon the individual, or by cutting ofi' his view, or both. For example, a. gas aiiectlng the eyes-or respiratory organs is effective, or asmokeehke cloud hiding from view ob ects "ordinarlly visible may under certain conditions be equally eliective and more desir- "able Either. rendersproper fleet control,

steering, sightlngof guns, etc, impossible. Such attack upon the individual in affecting his eyesor his lungs in no way affects attackinga hostile vessel by the fire of guns beyond the limits of the cloud, while an opaque cloud may protect friendly shipping, for example, from attack by ships within the cloud, by aircraft above it, or by submarine below it.

The receptacles employed may be in position to be. struck by any advancing vessel and provided with suitable devices whereby such contact liberates their contents, or they may be below the plane reached by such vessels andfbe discharged by persons at a distance, and operatingpreferably through known electrical devices. \Vhcncontact receptacles aroused, they should be located in accordance i with charts provided as in the use ot-ordiiiaryumines, so'thata safe course may be followed by; those fam'iliar with the charts.

In the accompanyingdiagrammatic drawings,

Figure 1 isa plan view of a waterway provided with my devices.

Fig. 2 isa cross sectionalvicw through the same waterway and devices.

Fig. 3 shows a receptacle with parts broken away.

In these views, A represents a channel Ut3- tween shores B, B, and C, C, C fields or waterway areas in which receptacles D are spaced apart and fixed in position below the reach of moving vessels. These receptacles are connected in multiple or in series with shore batteries E, E", or the like, by electrical conductors G. The receptacles I) may be of any suitable construction and each is adapted to be opened by the closing of the circuit through the corresponding station E, E, each, as shown for illustration, being provided with a. small receptaclerupturing explosive charge at D to which the conductor G reaches. The receptacles may be filled with material, smoke produc ing or not, adapted to form when discharged av gaseous cloud upon and above the surface of the water the cloud being of such character that it will affect the eyes or res )lltk tory organs of those within it, or will obstruct the view of those within or without its limits, or both. Closing a circuit at the distant corresponding station .E, E opens all the receptacles of a certain set, causes the immediate formation of a cloud which envelops any vessel or vessels H which may enter or be in the corresponding area.

Fields 0 upon opposite sides of the channel may be distinct sothat advantage can be taken of breezes coming from one or the other direction, and when desired a field may be connected in multiple with. the shore station.

Receptacles I lying inthe opposite paths of advancing vessels may be used, and several of these may be so connected that they form amultiple unit of receptacles I each adapted to be opened by contact of a. ship thcrewitlnand the connection I? being such that rupture of one causes opening of all-- as by an electric current passing from one to the other. The means employed may be any suitable well known means, for which no novelty is hcre claimed.

When material producing a smoke-like cloud is used, it is obvious that ships enveloped thereby are secure against aerial or submarine attack, and hence that my devices may be used to shield, directly, friendly vesscls or other objects.

It is to be observed that the use of my devices does not prevent the use of ordinary mines, and furthermore that my devices can be placed in position quickly and at trifling This is possible because the receptacles may be of any form, such as are quickly made and are largely used and carried in stock in.

times of peace, only very simple additions "being required and no special Sklll or slow machinewo'rlr being necessary.

many spaced receptacles arranged to dis charge together, under predetermined conditions, large quantities of material adapted to form upon the surface of the Waterway. a

gaseous cloud capable of preventing eflicient action of persons within it, the receptacles being in known relative positions.

3. The method of defending waterways which consists in securing in. the area to be protected numerousspaced receptacles con-' taining material adapted when discharged to form above-the surface of the water an extensive gaseous cloud itself adapted to prevent efiicient action of persons launching from any direction an attack upon that area.

4c The method of defending waterways which consists in securing to the bottom of the waterway area to be defended numerousmay be actuated from spaced receptacles containing material which when discharged forms above the waters surface a gaseous cloud adaptedflto prevent eflicient hostile action of. persons attacking said area, and further providing a'distant control for the discharge of said material.

, 5. The method of protecting waterways which consists in providing inthe waterway area to bedfend'ed numerous spaced submerged receptacl's'fiischarging through electric impulse and each containing material adapted to Iform-upon the surface of the Water a gaseous cloud adapted to prevent efficient hostile action of persons within the cloud. I y

6. The combination with a series of spaced submerged receptaclesfixed in a waterway and containing disabling gas,- of electric receptacle-opening devices borne by each receptacle, and means whereby said devices a distant point of control. l

7. The method of defending waterways which consists in providing areas on opposite-sides of the channel, respectively, with submerged receptacles containing material adapted to form above the waters surface,

when discharged, noxious opaque clouds, and further providing, at a suitable-station means for discharging said material at willqupon either side of the channel." In testimony whereof l hereunto aifixjmy signature. a i q JOSEPH "A, STEINMETZ. 

